Shoto Todoroki X Reader

Chapter 17 : Shadows of the Dark Forest

The battle in the clearing had quieted, but the air still crackled with tension. Smoke curled in the sky, and the ground was littered with the debris of the villains' assault. You stood beside Bakugou, your breath still ragged from the encounter. Your heart was pounding in your chest, and though the villain lay unconscious a few feet away, you knew the danger was far from over.

Midoriya rushed over, his face smeared with dirt and a faint bruise forming on his cheek. "Y/N! Bakugou! Are you guys okay?"

You nodded, but before you could respond, something strange caught your attention. The ground beneath your feet shuddered—not with the force of explosions or quirk-related attacks—but something much older, much deeper. It was a pulse you recognized instantly.

The Dark Forest was calling.

Your blood froze. Bakugou, too, had sensed the shift, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the treeline. "What the hell is that?" he muttered, fists at the ready.

You didn't answer. The familiar hum of magic—a power that ran through your veins and connected you to the very heart of the forest—had stirred. It was stronger now, tugging at you, pulling you toward the forest's edge.

Before you could take another step, a thick mist began to swirl at the borders of the clearing. The temperature dropped rapidly, and the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. The mist coiled and writhed, and through the haze, shadows began to emerge.

"Y/N..." Midoriya breathed, eyes wide as he instinctively stepped in front of you. "What's happening?"

You knew what was happening. You'd felt this presence before—only in your darkest dreams or moments of desperation. The forest itself had sent them.

Your family.

The figures stepped from the mist, their forms cloaked in long, dark robes. Their faces were hidden beneath deep hoods, but you could feel their eyes on you. One by one, they moved forward, silent and ominous, until they stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching, waiting.

"Who are they?" Bakugou demanded, his voice low but dangerous. His palms crackled with faint explosions, ready for a fight if it came to that.

You swallowed hard. "They're... my family."

Bakugou's head snapped toward you, his eyes wide with shock. "What?"

Your voice was quiet, but steady. "The Dark Forest isn't just where I live. It's where my family comes from. They're part of it—part of the ancient magic that flows through the land. They've come for me."

"Ancient magic?" Midoriya echoed, his eyes flickering between you and the hooded figures. "But why now? What do they want?"

You had a sinking feeling you knew exactly why they had appeared. The villains' attack, the growing threat from Shigaraki, and your involvement with U.A.—it had all escalated too quickly. Your family had always warned you that your connection to the outside world, especially the hero society, would bring danger. And now, they were here to take you back.